Load handling device



Nov. 3, 1964 A. c. PYRAK 3,154,369

1.04m HANDLING DEVICE Filed Jan. 18, 1963 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR.

ANTHONY PYRA K 4TTOPNEYS Nov. 3, 1964 A. c. PYRAK LOAD HANDLING DEVICE 2Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Jan. 18, 1963 INVENTOR. ANTHONY c. PYRAK BYemfimamwee w' ATTORNEY-S United States Patent 3,154,869 LOAD HANDLINGDEVICE Anthony C. Pyrak, 208 Fairways Blvd, Buffalo, NY. Filed Jan. 18,1963, Ser. No. 252,371 6 Claims. (Cl. 37-130) This invention relates toa load handling devices and more particularly to a shovel havinga cradleassembly for lifting and supporting a load. One object of the inventionis to provide a shovel that can be used for the lifting and transportingof snow, or other material such as dirt or leaves.

Another object is to provide a shovel whereby a relatively large amountof material may be easily elevated from the ground and supported on awheeled cradle assembly for movement to a desired dumping area.

Another object is to provide a fulcrumed shovel for easy handling ofmaterial.

Other objects and features of the invention will more fully appearhereinafter.

In the drawings:

FIG. 1 is a plan view of my invention, shown in the form of a snowshovel.

FIG. 2 is a side view of the shovel showing its relation to the groundor supporting surface after having been pushed forward to accumulate aload of snow.

FIG. 3 is a sectional view taken on line 3-3 of FIG. 1 and illustratinga portion of the handle, axle, the strap connecting the handle and axle,and one wheel.

FIG. 4 is a side view illustrating with broken lines the load gatheringscoop lifted just clear of the supporting surface; and illustnating withsolid lines, the scoop lifted to a higher elevation.

FIG. 5 is a side view, illustrating with solid lines the positionassumed by the scoop when fully raised and supported by the cradleassembly for rolling movement; and illustrating with broken lines theparts with scoop in unloading position.

Referring now to the drawings, 2 designates a load gathering scooppreferably made of sheet metal or other substantially rigid material andwhich has a bottom or forward portion 3 and a rear portion 4. Anelongated rearwardly extending handle 5 is rigidly attached to the scoopat 7.

An elongate cradle assembly 8 has spaced rails 9 and 10, having theirforward ends pivotally attached to the rear portion 4 of the scoop at 12and 13 respectively while their rearward ends support an afle 14.

The axle 14 provide a central portion 15 located between the end ofrails 9 and 10, and spindle portions extending beyond the rails formounting wheels 17 and 18.

Rigidly attached to the underside of handle 5 at 19 is a downwardlyextending strap 20, made of spring metal and having a rearwardlyextending portion 22 and a forwardly and downwardly extending endportion 23. The central portion 15 of the axle and the portions 22 and23 of strap 20 are so positioned that axle portion 15 normally rests onthe top of strap portion 22, but that the axle can be disengaged fromthe strap by pressing downwardly with ones foot on axle portion 15 whileholding the handle 5 still, or while pulling upwardly on the handle.After being disengaged the parts can be reengaged by lowering the handleuntil end 23 of the strap contacts the top of axle portion 15 whereuponfurther downward movement of the handle will force the lower end of thestrap forward until the axle rests on strap portion 22. The foregoingarrangement makes it possible to lift the free end of the handle andalso lift the cradle assembly when desired, while permittingdisengagement of the handle and attached strap from the axle for apurpose to be described.

The rails 9 and 10 of the cradle assembly 8 may be made of any desiredmaterial but are preferably made of tubes, and they are identical inshape, each having upturned ends 24 supporting the axle 14, rockerportions 25 extending from points of substantial tangency adjacent thewheels, toward the scoop 2, and step portions 27 hingedly joining therocker portions with the scoop at 12 and 13.

The fulcrum point or juncture 28 of the step portions and the rockerportions is so dimensioned as to normally engage with or rest upon asupporting surface such as a pavement, with the bottom 3 of the scoop 2also engaged with such surface, and with the wheels 17 and 18 elevatedwith respect to such surface. The position, just described,

of the scoop, the cradle assembly and the wheels may be designated asthe first position of the cradle assembly.

In the operation of the device, and while in the position shown in FIG.2, the device is pushed forward, or to the left, on the supportingsurface, by pushing on handle 5, until a desired load has beenaccumulated in the scoop, at which time, when it may be desired toelevate the loaded scoop, the operator presses downwardly on axleportion 15 with one foot while at the same time pulling rearwardly onhandle 5 as indicated by arrows in FIG. 4. The result of the foregoingoperation is to rock the cradle assembly 8 and start to elevate theloaded scoop 2 with a minimum of physical power or effort beingrequired.

A continued downward pressure with the foot and rearward pull on thehandle, will bring wheels 17 and 18 into contact with the supportingsurface, after which a continuing pull rearward on the handle willfurther elevate the scoop and forward portions of the cradle assemblyuntil the scoop is drawn backw ard over the top dead center of thecradle assembly to a second position of the cradle assembly with thejuncture 28 of the step portion and the rocker portion of the cradleassembly supporting the bottom 3 of scoop 2 as illustrated in solidlines in FIG. 5. It will also be observed that in the position justdescirbed the wheels 17 and 18 are located forwardly of the center ofgnavity of the loaded scoop. While in this position the device can beWheeled to any desired place.

It will also be evident that if the end portions 29 of step portions 27,adjacent pivotal attachment 12 and 13 are so arranged as to contact thescoop rear portion 4 below the pivotal attachments 12 and 13, that insuch case support of the bottom 3 of the scoop would not be necessary.

When a desired dumping area has been reached the scoop can be loaded bymerely lifting on handle 5 until the device has substantially assumedthe position shown in broken lines in FIG. 5.

It will be readily seen that by merely lowering the free end of handle 5from the broken line position shown in FIG. 5 the device can againassume the condition shown in FIGS. 1 and 2.

The device is so constructed that a minimum of physical effort isrequired to elevate and transport a load.

While only the preferred form of the invention has been illustrated anddescribed herein, such form may be modified without departing from thespirit of the invention or the scope of the appended claims.

What is claimed is:

l. A load handling device comprising, in combination,

a load gathering scoop having a handle attached thereto and extendingrearwardly therefrom,

an elongate cradle assembly pivotally attached at one end thereof tosaidscoop, said cradle assembly being movable between a first positionextending rearwardly from said scoop and underlying said handle and asecond position oblique to said handle in underlying and supportingrelation to said scoop,

said cradle assembly including a step portion extending rearwardly anddownwardly from the point of pivotal attachment between cradle and scoopto engage with a supporting surface simultaneously with said scoop withthe cradle assembly in said first position thereof, and a rocker portionextending upwardly as well as rearwardly from such point of supportingsurface engagement, and wheel means attached to that end of said rockerportion remote from said scoop.

2. The load handling device of claim 1 further characterized by:

said rocker portion having spaced rails, an axle for said wheel meanscarried between said rails,

and said axle having a portion adapted to receive an operators footpressure.

3. The load handling device of claim 1 further characterized by:

said rocker portion having spaced rails, an axle for said wheel meanscarried between said rails,

and said handle having a downwardly extending spring strap adapted forreleasable engagement adjacent its free end with said axle.

4. A load handling device comprising, in combination,

a load gathering scoop having a handle attached thereto and extendingrearwardly therefrom,

an elongate cradle assembly pivotally attached at one end thereof to therear of said scoop,

said cradle assembly being movable between a first position extendingrearwardly from said scoop and underlying said handle and a secondposition oblique to said handle in underlying relation to said scoop,

said cradle assembly including an L-shaped step portion extendingrearwardly from the scoop and then downwardly to engage with asupporting surface simultaneously with said scoop with said cradleassembly in said first position thereof, and a rocker portion extendingupwardly as well as rearwardly from such point of supporting surfaceengagement, and the length of said rearwardly extending portion of theL-shaped step portion, as aforesaid, being greater than the distancebetween its point of attachment to the scoop and the bottom of thescoop, and wheel means attached to that end of said rocker portionremote from said scoop.

5. The load handling device of claim 4 further characterized by:

said rocker portion having spaced rails, an axle for said Wheel meanscarried between said rails,

and said axle having a portion adapted to receive an operators footpressure.

6. The load handling device of claim 4 further characterized by:

said rocker portion having spaced rails, an axle for said wheel meanscarried between said rails,

and said handle having a downwardly extending spring strap adapted forreleasable engagement adjacent its free end with said axle.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS340,955 Odin Apr. 27, 1886 418,339 Mott Dec. 31, 1889 2,441,449 Shaw May11, 1948 2,895,238 Long July 21, 1959 3,028,695 Westby Apr. 10, 1962FOREIGN PATENTS 49,820 Switzerland Dec. 3, 1909 978,090 France Apr. 9,1951

1. A LOAD HANDLING DEVICE COMPRISING, IN COMBINATION, A LOAD GATHERINGSCOOP HAVING A HANDLE ATTACHED THERETO AN EXTENDING REARWARDLYTHEREFROM, AN ELONGATE CRADLE ASSEMBLY PIVOTALLY ATACHED AT ONE ENDTHEREOF TO SAID SCOOP, SAID CRADLE ASSEMBLY BEING MOVABLE BETWEEN AFIRST POSITION EXTENDING REARWARDLY FROM SAID SCOOP AND UNDERLYING SAIDHANDLE AND A SECOND POSITION OBLIQUE TO SAID HANDLE IN UNDERLYING ANDSUPPORTING RELATION TO SAID SCOOP, SAID CRADLE ASSEMBLY INCLUDING A STEPPORTION EXTENDING REARWARDLY AND DOWNWARDLY FROM THE POINT OF PIVOTALATTACHMENT BETWEEN CRADLE AND SCOOP TO ENGAGE WITH A SUPPORTING SURFACESIMULTANEOUSLY WITH SAID SCOOP WITH THE CRADLE ASSEMBLY IN SAID FIRSTPOSITION THEREOF, AND A ROCKER PORTION EXTENDING UPWARDLY AS WELL ASREARWARDLY FROM SUCH POINT OF SUPPORTING SURFACE ENGAGEMENT, AND WHEELMEANS ATTACHED TO THAT END OF SAID ROCKER PORTION REMOTE FROM SAIDSCOOP.